Cash aid deadline extension ‘possible’

MANILA, Philippines —The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is inclined to extend the May 7 deadline for the payout of the first tranche of the government’s cash aid to poor families.

“What’s the use of stopping the [payout] if there are still beneficiaries who have been left out [of the first tranche]?” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told reporters on Wednesday, adding that an extension of the DILG deadline was possible.

As of Tuesday night, only 828 of some 1,500 local government units (LGUs) have completed the payout of the cash assistance to poor households. The first tranche involved the distribution of P100 million to 12.5 million beneficiaries around the country.

Año said LGUs were facing the biggest problem in Metro Manila in terms of fast-tracking the payout without sacrificing social distancing. As he joined officials in the inspection of the mega swabbing center in Taguig City, the official urged LGUs to “think of innovations on how you can distribute [the cash aid] faster without violating physical distancing.”

Año added: “I do not want to be issuing show-cause orders without looking at the situation on the ground. Remember, this is a team effort. It’s a national government effort. It’s not just the LGUs’.”

He added that the DILG would go after local officials involved in irregularities, such as rigging the payout list to include unqualified relatives.